“Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, I am honored and
humbled to stand before you as Commander-in-Chief of the finest
military the world has ever known...

“Whether you wear the uniform today, or wore it decades ago, you
remind us of a fundamental truth. It’s not the powerful weapons
that make our military the strongest in the world. It’s not the
sophisticated systems that make us the most advanced. The true
strength of our military lies in the spirit and skill of our men
and women in uniform. And you know this...

“To all those who have served America – our forces, your
families, our veterans – you have done your duty. You have
fulfilled your responsibilities. And now a grateful nation must
fulfill ours. And that is what I want to talk about today...

“First, we have a solemn responsibility to always lead our men
and women in uniform wisely. And that starts with a vision of
American leadership that recognizes that military power alone
cannot be the first or only answer to the threats facing our
nation...

“In recent years, our troops have succeeded in every mission
America has given them, from toppling the Taliban to deposing a
dictator in Iraq to battling brutal insurgencies. At the same time,
forces trained for war have been called upon to perform a whole
host of missions. Like mayors, they’ve run local governments and
delivered water and electricity. Like aid workers, they’ve mentored
farmers and built new schools. Like diplomats, they’ve negotiated
agreements with tribal sheikhs and local leaders...

“And that’s why I have made this pledge to our armed forces: I
will only send you into harm’s way when it is absolutely
necessary...

“Which brings me to our second responsibility to our armed
forces – giving them the resources and equipment and strategies to
meet their missions. We need to keep our military the best-trained,
the best-led, the best-equipped fighting force in the world. And
that’s why, even with our current economic challenges, my budget
increases defense spending...

“By moving forward in Iraq, we’re able to refocus on the war
against al Qaeda and its extremist allies in Afghanistan and
Pakistan...

“This strategy acknowledges that military power alone will not
win this war – that we also need diplomacy and development and good
governance. And our new strategy has a clear mission and defined
goals: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and its extremist
allies...

“As I said when I announced this strategy, there will be more
difficult days ahead. The insurgency in Afghanistan didn’t just
happen overnight and we won’t defeat it overnight. This will not be
quick, nor easy. But we must never forget: this is not a war of
choice. This is a war of necessity. Those who attacked America on
9/11 are plotting to do so again. If left unchecked, the Taliban
insurgency will mean an even larger safe haven from which al Qaeda
would plot to kill more Americans. So this is not only a war worth
fighting. This is a – this is fundamental to the defense of our
people...

“Now, even as we lead and equip our troops for the missions of
today, we have a third responsibility to fulfill. We must prepare
our forces for the missions of tomorrow...

“Our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen
adapt to new challenges every day. But as we know, much of our
defense establishment has yet to fully adapt to the post-Cold War
world, with doctrine and weapons better suited to fight the Soviets
on the plains of Europe than insurgents in the rugged terrain of
Afghanistan. Twenty years after the Cold War ended, this is simply
not unacceptable. It’s irresponsible. Our troops, and our
taxpayers, deserve better...

“But here’s the simple truth: we cannot build the 21st century
military we need, and maintain the fiscal responsibility that
America demands, unless we fundamentally reform the way our defense
establishment does business. It’s a simple fact. Every dollar
wasted in our defense budget is a dollar we can’t spend to care for
our troops or protect America or prepare for the future...

“This is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue – it’s
about giving our troops the support that they need. And that’s
something that all Americans should be able to agree to...

“If a project doesn’t support our troops, if it does not make
America safer, we will not fund it. If a system doesn’t perform, we
will terminate it. And if Congress sends me a defense bill loaded
with a bunch of pork, I will veto it. We will do right by our
troops and taxpayers, and we will build the 21st century military
that we need...

“Finally, we will fulfill our responsibility to those who serve
by keeping our promises to our people. We will fulfill our
responsibility to our forces and our families...

“And since there’s been so much misinformation out there about
health insurance reform, let me say this: one thing that reform
won’t change is veterans’ health care. No one is going to take away
your benefits – that is the plain and simple truth. (Applause).

“We’re expanding access to your health care, not reducing
it...

“And we’re keeping our promise to fulfill another top priority
at the VA – cutting the red tape and inefficiencies that cause
backlogs and delays in the claims process...

Veterans of Foreign Wars, you have done your duty – to your
fallen comrades, to your communities, to your country. You have
always fulfilled your responsibilities to America. And so long as I
am President of the United States, America will always fulfill its
responsibilities to you.”